Aalambaadi Basava Statue
Bull is facing towards Aalambaadi village (North) @ top of the Temple

The
place, Sri Male Mahadeshwara Hills has become a Universally famous
pilgrim center. Millions of Devotes, visit this temple every year
for getting the blessings of Sri Lord Mahadeshwara Swamy, the presiding
deity of this place. According to legends, young saint came from
Srishaila to this part of the state. In his boyhood he has
spiritually guided by then pontiff of Suthur Mutt & Kunthur Mutt.
He is said to have performed several miracles in his life, in these
places. Afterwards he went to the hillside. It is a dense
forest area surrounded by Seventy Seven hills to seven circles. It
was not a safe place for human habitation. It was about 6 centuries
ago the young saint went to the forest area, to save the saints who were
performing penance and taken to bondage by a person known as Shravana who
pocessed abundant black magic power. Apart from this there were
tribes living here and there in small groups who were devoid of any rays
of human civilization. It is said that this Lord Sri Mahadeshwara
destroyed the black magic power of Sravana and got released the saints who
were in his prision. The place where they were kept in prison is
also a holy place, called "Thavasare"
& the place where Shravana lived is called as
"Sravana Boli". There are several places of
historical interest in this area to which the devotees often pay their
visits. The miracle activities of Sri Lord Mahadeshwara Swamy have
been sung by the devotees even to this day. The voluminous
literature of folk songs in Kannada language is published by research
scholors. It is said that there are folk songs in Tamil language
also, but necessary effort is not made to collect & publish them.
More devotees are coming from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & other states
also. This area was included in Madras State (now called Chennai)
prior to 1956, ie., before the re-organization of States of India.
Subsequently it has become part of the Karnataka State.

It
is said that the saint Lord Mahadeshwara established a Mutt here for
looking after the religio-cultural affairs of the people of this area.
It is also said that, he has transformed the attitude of the hill tribes
& made them his disciples. The people coming from these families
have become hereditary Archaks of this temple. The temple was under
the control & management of Sri Salur Mutt established by Sri Lord
Mahadeshwara till it was handed over to the Madras Government in the year
1953. After the formation of Karnataka the Administration of the
Temples is done by the trust committee, appointed by the Karnataka
Government under the Muzrai Department.

About
50 years ago there was no road facilities to this place. people used to
reach the place by walking. At present there are road connections
from Karnataka & Tamil Nadu States. More than 100 buses are
flying in this route everyday.

Festivals:
More
devotees will gather in the festival of Mahanavami (Dasara), Deepavali,
Karthika, Shivarathri, Yugadhi & Sravana. there will be Jathras
in the
above said periods. The Government of Karnataka & Tamil Nadu
provide special bus facilities at the times of the Jathras.

Raja
Gopura:
The deity is facing west and the door of the Sanctorum is also facing
west, when the prakaram was constructed, the entrance of the templ was
given to the south & north. In the south there is Gopuram &
in the north entrance there is a big Bull God (Basava). According to
Vasthu Shilpa, the main entrance must be from western side. After
knowing this the construction of Raja Gopuram was done on the western side
which cost about 65 lakhs.